Forever the Hunter, Book I: Eternal Hunter Born
by Gypsy Druid
Summary: A special child is found. A unusual destiny is set on course. A myth is born.
1. Chapter 1

**Forever the Hunter Series**

**Book I, Eternal Hunter Born**

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing and no one. Therefore, no profit has been or will ever be made from this story. 'Nuff said.

**Spoilers:** None, well maybe a little of if you haven't watch either show. If you have, then you'll recognize the episodes. Almost everything about the show is getting changed, and very little of Highlander will be mentioned beyond certain characters.

**Rated:** NC-17, FR21, MA. This series really is just for adults.

**Summery:** A special child is found. A unusual destiny is set on course. A myth is born. (Challenge Response)

Anything I've missed (disclaimer related) I can't think of it at the moment, but it still applies.

Special Thanks to IceFlame55. He's not only the best beta-reader I've had the opportunity to work with, but he practically helped me write the story. At least half the credit goes to him.

**A/N:** We are playing fast and loose with the historical timelines. So any and all inaccuracies should overlooked and/or ignored.

**WARNING!!!! Complete AU. This Buffy is HIGHLY sexual and will sleep with whoever (or whatever) she damn well chooses. She will not be named Buffy by her parents, nor will she take the place of the original Buffy Summers. She won't even be Buffy for a long time. If you have a problem with **_**any**_** of this, the BACK button is somewhere at the top of the screen. You have been warned.**

Chapter One

Bakari made his way through the city to the docks of the Nile Delta where the foreign slaves were being sold. He had been sent down by the High Priestess to procure a new servant for the Temple. He _hated_ this part of the docks. The stench of the slave pens turned his stomach and the empty expressions of those being sold tore at his heart. He did not like slavery, but the High Priestess had told him that the Goddess had sent her a vision, telling her that the Chosen Warrior would be found with these unfortunate souls. When he asked for a more detailed description of whom he was searching for, she had simply said that he would know.

He walked through the rows of chained people waiting for their turn on the dais, peering at each of them intently before moving on, hoping to find the one he was looking for quickly. He had just turned towards the next row when his scalp began to tingle. Turning back, he looked them over again, trying to find the one that had set off his mystical senses. Finally, he saw the girl, mostly hidden from view by the group waiting for their turn at the line. She was chained between two thick wooden posts at the hands, feet and neck, facing away from the gathered people. Her back was criss-crossed with bloody welts from a recent whipping. Huddled at her feet were two small children so dirty that Bakari couldn't tell their gender.

Pushing his way through the cluster of people and stepping over the length of chain, Bakari approached the bound girl to get a closer look, only to stop when the girl stiffened and two sets of eyes focused on him with wary intensity. He stayed where he was, looking the girl over and saw something he never expected. She was very young, maybe only 13 or 14 seasons old, with dirty, thick blond hair cut short like a young man. He could also see clearly defined muscles shifting beneath her sunburned skin.

"I'm sorry, your Eminence," Bakari's attention was drawn to a nearby man, Roman by the looks of his attire. "This slave is not for sale at this time. She is currently being disciplined for attacking potential buyers."

"I am here for the High Priestess of Bast." Bakari stated, thinking quickly. "She has requested that I purchase this specific slave, and I will not leave without her."

The Roman looked nervous. It was bad for business to dismiss the wishes of the Temples. They were the best customers, purchased slaves of all races, ages and sexes, and always payed top prices. If he started denying the leaders of the Temples, he would quickly find himself out of business. He studied the man before him for a moment before clearing his throat. If he wanted her so badly, maybe he could get rid of them all in one fell swoop. "She refused to be parted from those two. The buyer she attacked purchased the younger ones and attempted to separate them."

Bakari looked over the two children. They had moved closer to the bound girl, hugging her hips tightly as they watched the two men. He had wondered why the High Priestess had given him so much money for a single slave. Finally, the priest turned back to the slave owner. "Have them all cleaned and the girl's back attended to. I will return in a candlemark, and if they are healthy and able to work, then I will take all three."

When he returned, he was truly surprised at what he saw. The girl was beautiful despite her mannish stance and visible muscles. The two children, identical twins, a girl and a boy, were also beautiful children. He shuddered to think who would have purchased them, knowing well the unusual 'needs' of some of the noblemen. Tearing his gaze away from them, he turned to the Roman and nodded. "I will take them. Please prepare the necessary papers."

"Excellent!" The slave owner clapped his hands together before snapping his fingers. An aide appeared out of nowhere to hand him several parchments. He could not believe his good fortune. He had thought he would be forced to sell the group at a loss since she was so unruly, and had cursed the pirates that had sold them to him frequently over the last weeks. "I took the liberty of preparing everything while they were being cleaned. All we need now is your signature and your payment."

They completed their business and the slave owner handed over the chain that bound the slaves together. Without speaking to them, he lead them out of the slave pens, through the city and to the Temple of his Goddess. He took them to one of the antechambers and left them with an admonishment to remain there as he went off in search of the High Priestess.

"What will we do now, Terrwyn?" Her brother asked in their native language.

"I do not know, Ris." Terrwyn answered. "But I promised Mother that I would keep you safe, and I will."

"There is no need." Terrwyn's head jerked up at the sudden presence of the woman in the room. She had not heard anyone enter, or even approach the room. "I am Beset, High Priestess of this Temple. You are safe here."

Terrwyn quickly shifted until she was standing in from of her sister and brother, baring her teeth in an almost feral snarl. She did not know this woman, therefore she did not trust this woman. It did not matter that she spoke their language. The woman was tall with dark skin and long dark hair. She was the most beautiful woman Terrwyn had ever seen other than the woman that she had called mother, but that didn't mean that she was could be trusted. The last time someone in her tribe trusted a stranger, they were savagely attacked and killed or put in cages. She would _not_ make that same mistake.

"Bakari, why are they still in the shackles?" Beset asked the young Priest as he entered the room, switching to her own language.

Bakari lowered his eyes. "I was informed that the girl is dangerous, High Priestess. When I found her, she was being disciplined for attacking buyers."

"Would you not do the same if someone tried to take you from your family?" The High Priestess asked him. "Remove their shackles."

She turned her attention back to the girl as Bakari approached cautiously to do as he was commanded. "Within these walls, you are free and you are safe. None will harm you or the ones that you protect. The young ones will work in the Temple. They will be protected, well fed and educated as are our ways. You, however, must start on the path to your Destiny."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Terrwyn looked up from her mending as her siblings came running through the door. The happiness in their eyes a far cry from a season ago. Although the High Priestess had kept her word about them being safe and relatively free, Terrwyn could not help but remain a little distrustful of her motives. From the very beginning, Beset had spoken of a destiny, and Terrwyn was sure that was the reason that they were being treated so well. Until she was told what that destiny was, she was determined to withhold her final judgment on the matter.

"Why are you two running around like a herd of _kelpies_?" Terrwyn asked, smiling. "Shouldn't you be at your studies?"

"Bakari said that we were being released early because the Pharaoh is visiting the temple." Ris told her. "We were all sent to our chambers and told to stay out of the way as they prepared for his arrival."

"What is a Pharaoh, Terrwyn?" Their sister, Eirian, asked.

"He is the leader of these lands." Terrwyn explained. "Much like Father was."

"Oh, do you think we'll get to meet him?" Ris asked, a little excitedly.

"No, silly." Eirian giggled. "He won't want to see kids. Remember when the others came to visit Father. We were always told to go stay with Bronwyn."

Terrwyn watched them bicker in contentment. The twins were all she had left of the family of Andras, their Father and chieftain. She had seen their Father and older brother fall when the strangers had attacked them without provocation. Their Mother had been killed trying to defend the twins, and Terrwyn had been overwhelmed as she tried to get to them. She had sworn, as she saw her foster mother die to protect her children, that she would keep her siblings safe no matter what it took. After her first bleeding, her mother taken her aside and told her the truth of her place within the family. Of how she had been found as a baby and raised with the intention of being wed to their oldest son when she was of age. Something within her changed after her first bleeding, however. She grew to be stronger than other girls, and most boys, her age, and became less and less content to mind the hearth and home while the boys learned to hunt and defend. It had only been the words of the Old Mother, an ancient crone who was occasionally gifted (or cursed) with prophetic visions, that released her from the Chieftain's promise of marriage. When her foster father finally relented, they discovered that although she would never be considered a great hunter in the village, when it came to defending her people, she was both relentless and ruthless. In their practice battles, she was victorious against opponents bigger and older than she more often than not, garnering both grudging respect and embarrassed anger in equal portions.

When the stranger had stumbled into their village, Terrwyn had been almost instantly wary. There had been something about him that did not sit right with her. She had spoken with her father several times about it, but he had dismissed her unease, assuring that she was just unused to outsiders. He had been the first to fall, from an arrow to the heart, and when Terrwyn had seen the shooter, she hated herself for not pressing the issue. His dying words had sent her scrambling to her feet, whipping out her fighting sticks, and fighting her way across the village to their family hut where her mother and the twins were just now settling down for the night. She had been only a few feet away when their mother was run through as she stood in the doorway, refusing to move away so that the slavers could take the twins. With a cry of rage, Terrwyn leapt the last few feet to land several devastating blows before she was knocked unconscious from behind. Later, she would find out that she had shattered the knee, wrist and collarbone of their mother's killer, as well as knocked out his two accomplices as she was punished for their humiliation again and again. After a particularly brutal beating that left Terrwyn in a bloody heap and one of her tormentors dead when he tried to rape her sister, the slave master finally called a halt to their tortures.

"Terrwyn, are you listening to me?" She suddenly heard Ris demand.

"_Mae'n chwith gen i, brawdmaeth_." Terrwyn apologized. Although they had all learned the language of the Nubians, they frequently lapsed back to their native language when they were alone. Terrwyn shook her head to clear away the dark memories and spoke again. "I am sorry. I was thinking of home."

"I miss home." Eirian whispered in their Welsh. "Will we ever get to go back home, Terrwyn?"

Both twins stared at her at the question. She so desperately wanted to tell them that they would, but she couldn't bring herself to lie to them. "I do not think so, little one.

Gathering them close, Terrwyn held her siblings as they all cried for what they had lost. After they had cried themselves to sleep, Terrwyn carried them to the bed and tucked them in, then she went to sit next to the window to look at the cloudless blue sky.

"Why am I really here?" Terrwyn suddenly asked, knowing without looking that Beset had managed to sneak up on her again. "What is it that you want with me?"

For the first time since their first meeting, the questions were asked without the fury and hate that had festered inside of her since her world was destroyed. Beset moved to stand at her side. "I, personally, want nothing from you than for you and your siblings to be happy with us. However, I have also been chosen to guide and train you for the Destiny that awaits. What that Destiny is, the Goddess has not shown me, but I do know that it will be a hard, hard road, and one that you will not be able to avoid."

"What about Ris and Eirian?"

"They will either remain here in the temple, or go with you when you leave." Beset told her. "I meant it when I said that you were free. You are no longer slaves. The children have been accepted as acolytes to the Temple, and will be raised as such as you train. When the time comes, you will all decide what you wish for their futures."

Terrwyn finally looked at the High Priestess. "Why did you not tell me this when I asked before?"

"Because you were not ready." Beset answered gently. "You would have taken them and run as far and as fast as you could, and you would have then been facing your Destiny without the guidance and training that you will need."

"And I am ready now?"

"You speak with no more darkness clouding your words. The hatred and the fury that shadowed your eyes has been washed away by the tears that you have refused to shed until now. You _are_ ready to hear the words that will teach you, and to actually listen what they are saying. I must admit that you do have excellent timing. The one who will assist in your teaching arrived just moments ago. Your training will begin at dawn."

~~~ BtVS ~~ AU ~~ Highlander ~~~

"Welcome, Traveler." A young acolyte greeted the man standing in the entrance of the Temple. "How may I be of service?"

"I'm looking for a girl." The stranger answered. "A slave that I was told was bought by this Temple."

"Ah, yes." The acolyte nodded. "The High Priestess has been expecting you. This way please."

With a smirk and a nod, the man followed the acolyte through the Temple. He admired the artwork that they passd, making his trousers a bit uncomfortable during the short walk, and was reminded of Aphrodite's Temples in his homeland of Greece.

"Welcome to the Temple of Bast." The man jumped and froze as a woman suddenly appeared walking beside him. He was a warrior, and a damn good one, but he hadn't heard her approach. "I am the High Priestess, Beset."

"I am Nikon." He introduced himself, studying the woman next to him. She was a lush beauty, and he knew well what the followers of Bast were capable of. He was truly going to appreciate this assignment. "As I told your boy, I am looking for a slave that was purchased by this Temple."

"I know of whom you seek, but she is no longer a slave." Beset assured him. "She is ready to begin her training at first light. However, I would suggest that you take this time to introduce yourself to her. She is understandably wary of strangers. We have set aside chambers for you and, once you have settled in, one of the acolytes will bring you into the inner sanctum to meet her."

"I am sorry, High Priestess, but I have come to get the girl, not to train her."

"On the contrary." Beset smiled gently. "Terrwyn will not be leaving the Temple, unwillingly or otherwise. She will remain with us until she is needed, and we will be training her as well."

Nikon studied the seriousness of the High Priestess, clear in the hard glint in her eyes. Unlike most people, he knew the truth of the followers of Bast. Not only were they well trained in the art of Pleasure, the women of the Cat Goddess were as well versed in the arts of war. In this Temple, it was the women that were dangerous, not the men. Finally, Nikon inclined his head in reluctant acceptance. "I must inform the Protectorate."

"Very well." Beset turned to the acolyte. "Take him to the gardens."

Language Notes:

_Mae'n chwith gen i=_I am sorry

_brawdmaeth=_foster brother


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The Protectorate's response arrived three days later. They accepted the terms laid down by the High Priestess. It had been merely a formality, however, since Terrwyn's training had begun the morning after Nikon's arrival as Beset had instructed. During the next several moons, she learned the art of combat. Nikon taught her hand-to-hand fighting before graduating to knives and then swords. Once she was able to defeat Nikon without figuratively getting killed in the process, she was given to one of the priestesses for further training. She was taught to track and to hunt, and to move with stealth and to hide. She was put into a special room where they taught her rely on her senses other than her eyesight.

"_Noswaith dda, offeiriades_." She greeted Beset, not looking away from the stars.

"Good evening to you as well, young one." The priestess replied. "I apologize that I have not been here, but I have had other matter to attend to."

Terrwyn glanced at her and smiled. "I know that you are not fully human, Beset. You do not make feel like the other creatures that Nikon has made me fight, but you do make the back of my neck tingle."

"Very good." Beset complimented. "Are you ready to know what you are and what you will become?"

"Nikon told me that I was had the potential to become a 'Chosen One'. One who would possibly be chosen fight the monsters in the darkness."

"Yes, that is true, but it is your destiny to be so much more."

"He told me that I am not supposed to be able to sense the monsters like I do." Terrwyn finally turned to her. "That I move and fight almost like one already Chosen."

Beset nodded. "You are as close to one of the Chosen as it is possible to become without being Called." She paused for a moment. "Tomorrow you will have the day off from your training to spend with your sister and brother. The day after, you will travel Nikon to the temple of Shiva to continue your training."

Terrwyn felt her heart stop. "You-You are sending me away?"

"You will return to us, child." Beset assured her.

"But why do I have to go?"

Gently, Beset led the distraught young woman to the settee and sat her down. "You are more than a Potential. More than a Chosen Protector. When the time comes for you to step into your Destiny, you _must_ be prepared, or you will fall to the darkness."

"What's going to happen to me?" Terrwyn asked.

"A time will come when you have to choose." Beset told her. "At the time of your death, you will have to choose between two equally hard paths. The trainings that you receive now will help to give you a clear picture so that you can make that choice."

Terrwyn sniffed away her tears and nodded slowly. "Will I be Called?"

"That, my child, I can not say."

~~~ BtVS ~~ AU ~~ Highlander ~~~

"Where are you going, Terrwyn?" Ris asked as they watched her pack her bag.

"First, we are going to India to the Temple of Shiva, then we go to Greece to the Temples of Athena and Artemis."

"When will you come back?" Eirian asked.

"I will return in two seasons." Terrwyn sat down, and the twins threw their arms around her. "I will be back in time to see you dedicate yourselves to the temple if that is what you decide. Until then, you will remain and learn."

"We want to come with you."

"You can not." She told them firmly. "I am going to train. Here, you are safe. I know that you will be fed and clothed and schooled. Most importantly, I know that you will be protected."

She lay down with them, and sang them a lullaby their mother used to sing to them before she died. She knew that they were crying, she could feel their tears soak through her linen tunic, but she refused to look into their faces, knowing that if she did, she'd never be able to leave them. Finally, they fell asleep, clutching her so tightly that she could barely breathe, but she just lay there and held them.

"You'll keep an eye on them, won't you?" Terrwyn asked. "Not one of the others, but you?"

"I will." Beset said, sitting at the edge of the bed.

"You never told me exactly what you are."

"I should have known that you wouldn't forget." Beset smiled. "I am a true daughter of Bast, send down to this world to start you on your path. There was another searching for you as well, to turn you to the darkness. It was only fortune that brought you to my doorstep. He arrived at the slave camps the night after Bakari purchased you. The slaver that sold you was killed because you were already gone."

Terrwyn felt a tingle of satisfaction at that. "Are you a goddess as well?"

"No, merely a priestess, a servant. All of Bast's daughters are priestesses."

"I think I should sleep." Terrwyn said tiredly. "We're going to spend the day in the gardens." She yawned as her eyes drifted shut. "Just the three of us, like it used to be."

Language Notes:

_Noswaith dda_=Good evening

_Offeiriades_=priestess


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Terrwyn slipped off her hood as she walked into the coolness of the temple. It had been two long, hard seasons for her, doing nothing more than traveling and training. India, Greece, Germania. She had trained under any and every goddess of war and warfare, or anything resembling combat. And it was always goddesses, she'd realized at one point, never any of the male gods. For a time, she had wondered why, until Ares, the Greek God of War, tried to entice her into his service.

Now, she had back. When Nikon informed her that they were returning to Egypt, she had been so overjoyed that she'd barely managed to force herself to keep pace with her guide and trainer, instead of rushing ahead.

"Terrwyn!" Ris and Eirian ran across the room and plowed into her, knocking her over. "Priestess Beset said you were here!"

Terrwyn laughed in sheer joy. Nikon looked down at her in surprise. He had never heard anything like it.

"_Fi ve fethedig 'ch, hychydig hunau._" She hugged them. "You have grown so big. How have you been?"

"We missed you, too." Eirian said, laying her head on Terrwyn's shoulder. "We're glad you're back."

"Are you now?" Terrwyn smiled. Nimble finger skittered across sensitive ribs, making the younger girl squirm. In one smooth motion, she wrapped her arms around them and rolled to her feet. "Tell me what you've done while I've been away."

Nikon watched in bemusement as she carried them off, listening intently as they told her everything that she had missed. Once again, he was shocked at how unusually strong the Potential was.

"This way, please." A young acolyte gestured down the hall.

Nikon picked up Terrwyn's bag that she had left on the ground. "I know the way. Would you please tell Priestess Beset that I would like a word with her?"

"Of course."

Beset appeared walking next to him as he moved through the hall, much like she had the first time they'd met. "You wished to speak with me?"

Calming his racing heart, he nodded. "I received a message from the Protectorate on our return trip. I am needed to retrieve another Potential. Terrwyn's official Guardian will arrive within the next few days. The Protectorate has been updated in regards to her training, as well as her unusual abilities, so whoever they send should be adequately prepared."

"All has been arranged."

~~~ BtVS ~~ AU ~~ Highlander ~~~

"Are you prepared, Andreas?"

"Yes, sir." The man straightened his tunic. "I have all the documentation regarding the Potential. My wife will take care of our lands, and our sons. She is aware of where I will be and will be able to get in contact with me in case of emergency."

"She is also aware that your charge is in the care of the High Priestess of Bast, is she not?" The older man asked in mild amusement. "Does she know what the Goddess is known for?"

Andreas flushed. "She does. She knows, however, that I am faithful. She is not worried."

"Then you are a better man than I. Travel well, my boy."

"I will, Uncle." Andreas shook his hand. "Thank you."

A candlemark later, Andreas on his way to Egypt from his estate just outside the fair city of Rome.

"A girl with the strength and skills of a Chosen One." Andreas mused as he read the crudely written reports that the soldier Nikon had sent them. "How is such a thing even possible?"

He was reading through the reports of their travels. "What do the warrior goddesses have to do with this child? They have nothing to do with the destiny of those possibly Chosen. That responsibility supersedes all others."

~~~ BtVS ~~ AU ~~ Highlander ~~~

Terrwyn and the twins were nearly inseparable for the first few days. The years apart had left a void that was filled only when they were reunited once again.

"Are you going to leave us again?" Eirian asked.

"I'm not sure." Terrwyn asked honestly. "For now, no. I am here for several moons at least. Have you decided whether you wish to dedicate yourselves to the temple or not?"

"We want to stay with you." Ris told her. "We know that whatever they are training you for will be dangerous, but we belong together."

"Ris. Eirian."

"No, Terrwyn." Eirian interrupted. "We have heard the whispers that you are special to the Goddess. If we study the teaching, do you think they will let us stay with you when we are old enough?"

"What I will be doing will be dangerous." Terrwyn told them. "It is possible that I will not survive should it be necessary for me to fight. I do not wish for you place yourselves in danger as well."

"We would rather be with you, even if we are in danger." Ris told her. "We will learn to fight. To defend ourselves when necessary."

"But we do not wish to be separated from you any longer."

Terrwyn studied them gravely, gauging their seriousness. After a few minutes, she slowly nodded. "We will talk to Beset."

~~~ BtVS ~~ AU ~~ Highlander ~~~

"_Goddess Mother, is there nothing that can stop what is to come?"_ Beset prayed as she watched Terrwyn and the twins in her scrying pool. _"She is so young, so full of life and love. She should not have to carry such a burden."_

'**It is that life and love that will see her through the lifetimes that she must endure.'** Bast spoke inside of her mind and soul. **'While she is here, you will teach her to nurture that part of herself, so that she does not lose it to the darkness that she must travel in.'**

"_She is young for our teachings, Goddess Mother."_

'**Age is meaningless in regards to such as she.'** Bast answered. **'Teach her to love as only you can, for after the dedication ceremony, she must be sent to Sparta.'**

"_Sparta?"_ Beset was surprised. _"She is already too old to enter their training regimen, and they do not allow females to train as warriors."_

'**She will not be trained as the Spartans are trained.'** Bast explained. **'She will use her skills in combat against those who have trained all their lives. They will teach her what they have been taught. To win the battle at all costs. To never back down and never surrender. Although she cannot perform their final test, that of killing a slave, the Oracle of Delphi will warn the king when her test is set loose in their lands.'**

"_Ahh." _Beset idly wondered what dark creature would be sent to test the girl, but dismissed it as irrelevant._ "When do you wish her training to begin?"_

'**She has already had her first woman's bleeding, before she came to us.'** Bast informed her. **'Her training shall be dictated at your pace, but should begin soon. Be aware, my Daughter, a part of her soul is of Freyja, who's sexuality rivals my own.'**

"_As you will. Thank you, Goddess Mother."_

'**Be well, my daughter.'**

Language notes:

_Fi ve fethedig 'ch = _I've missed you

_hychydig hunau_ = little ones


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Terrwyn, it is time to begin another phase of your training." Beset stood in the doorway to the young warrior's chambers, watching as she dressed. "Follow me, and I will introduce you to one of your instructors."

Curious, the young woman followed the High Priestess through the temple in a group of chambers that Terrwyn had never seen before. In the chambers, there a group of women lounging in sheer gowns, surrounded by small cubs and large cats lying lazily in large trees. Looking around, she sensed that none of the women were human, but also knew that they no danger, or Beset would not allow them to remain in the temple, especially with young acolytes. Terrwyn's eyes widened as she saw that several couples, and more than one group, were engaged in sexual acts that was making her heart pound harder and her blood heat up. A gesture from Beset had one of the woman heading towards them, a beautiful dark-skinned woman with dark hair and unusual gray eyes.

"Terrwyn, this is Masika." Beset smiled faintly as she saw the woman's eyes shift slightly as she caught the scent of the young girl's arousal. "Bast had instructed that your training in the pleasures of the flesh begin while you are with us."

Terrwyn breath caught as the woman before her smiled lushly, revealing straight white teeth with slightly pointed canines.

"Masika will begin your training. She will teach you the pleasure of both your body and hers. Then you will be taught the pleasure of the male form, and we will progress from here."

"It will be my pleasure, Mistress." Masika said silkily, moving in close and rubbing her scantily clad body against the frozen girl. She could hear the young woman's heart pounding, could smell the arousal, could sense the innocence and the confusion, and licked her lips as her feline soul rose to the anticipation of tasting this young warrior child.

"Slowly, Masika." Beset instructed in a language that Terrwyn had never heard, pulling the woman away from her charge. "She must be taught diligently. It will be essential to her survival."

"As I said, Mistress," Masika finally pulled her attention from the sensory treat before her. "it will be my pleasure."

~~~ BtVS ~~ AU ~~ Highlander ~~~

Terrwyn took to the new training as quickly and as enthusiastically as she did all her trainings. Within a fortnight, she was well versed in the art of pleasuring herself, and happily practicing all the ways to pleasure her partner. She and Masika became great friends, both in and out of the bedroom, and whatever time she had between training with the Warriors of Bast and her siblings, she spent with the beautiful cat-woman.

"What are you, Masika?" Terrwyn finally asked one night, running her fingers down the woman's curved spine, smiling when she arched into the caress despite still trying to catch her breath. "I know that you and the other women are not human. At least, not fully human."

Masika smiled. "We are Setkaet. Born human with the soul of a cat. We are able to shift between the two."

"Like a werewolf?"

"No. The _were_ is an infected creature." Masika told her. "We are born this way."

Terrwyn's brow rose. "Is there more than one type of _were_?"

Masika rose on one arm to look at her young lover. "Of course. There are were-cats and were-bears, but they usually keep to themselves and away from humans. Most were-wolves do as well. The ones that you have seen are a mistake that should never have happened."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, according to the histories, the _were_ are a product of a shaman long ago who tried to merge the essence of a man with the essence of an animal to create the perfect warrior race. It worked with the cats and the bears, but something went wrong when it came a species of wolf. The werewolf went mad, and attacked and killed the shaman. Getting it's first taste of human blood, it went out and killed more. Those that were merely left for dead, but were still living, changed into werewolves as well, and that is how it spread."

"There is nothing of that in the texts that the Protectorate sent for me to study."

"Not especially surprising. Very few outside of the shifter communities now the true histories of our races, and the _were_ is of our race, no matter how they came to be."

Masika kissed her before she could begin another line of questions. Terrwyn's unthinking strokes had her body primed for more, which seemed to be the norm the more she was around the young warrior. Before their interaction could go further however, Beset entered the chamber.

"Terrwyn, the representative from the Protectorate will arrive within the hour." She said. "You should bathe and get dressed to meet with him."

It was a few moments before Terrwyn managed to pull herself away from the kiss. She turned to Beset, and the High Priestess' breath caught at the hot gaze trained on her. Masika had kept her apprised of Terrwyn's progress, and Beset had to admit that she was surprised herself. The girl had an innate sensuality and an instinctive hedonism that made her a natural at the arts being taught to her. She also had an almost primal awareness of the human body, where and how to touch to induce pleasure or pain. She had yet to be trained with a man, but Beset could already tell what her preference would most likely be. She watched as Terrwyn climbed out of bed to walk naked to the bathing chamber. Her body was petite but well developed from her extensive training. Smiling affectionately, she sat down on the bed and stroked her fingers over glistening chocolate-colored skin. The cat woman responded by licking the skin of her thigh bared by the slit in her gown.

"I take it that you are enjoying the role of teacher?" Beset ran her fingers through Masika's hair.

"Mmm, indeed." Masika purred. "She's such an 'attentive' student. Did you know that her scent is attracting those not yet bonded? The energy that she exudes during arousal, and especially during sex, is unusually intoxicating. It is similar, yet different, than your kind."

"I suspected as much." Beset nodded. "That is why I asked you to train her instead of one of the priestesses. She has a special destiny ahead of her, and her road will be hard. Bast has bequeathed me to request a bond-mate for her in the future."

Masika rose up in surprise, revealing her bare breasts and hardened nipples to Beset's appreciative gaze. "You know that any one of us would be honored to bond with her."

"I do," Beset tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "but it will not be one of you. It is not yet time."

Terrwyn entered the room before Masika could respond. Fully dressed, she leaned down to kiss Masika one last time before turning to the High Priestess. "I am ready."

As she followed Beset down the hall, Terrwyn couldn't help but notice how the taller woman's hips swayed as she walked. Idly, she wondered what it would be like to caress the silky skin she saw peeking at her through the slit up the length of her leg. She shook her head to clear her thoughts and focus on the meeting to come, not aware of the slight smile on Beset's lips as she felt the weight of the young girl's appraisal.

"What do you know of this man?" Terrwyn asked. "Will he be trustworthy?"

"In time he will become one of your greatest confidantes. Give him the benefit of the doubt before you dismiss him."

It was a legitimate request, and Terrwyn knew it. She dismissed most males outside of the temple, mostly due to her experiences on the pirate ship from her homeland and the abuses that she suffered. Although she would never admit it, she was unsettled at the thought of sleeping with a man but, even if she didn't trust the male, she did trust Beset, and if this was something that Beset, and by extension the Goddess Bast, felt she needed to know, then she would learn.

They spoke of other things as they waited. Where she would go next, what new things she would learn. Terrwyn confessed her concerns, not intending to, but unable to resist. Beset eased her worries, and assured her that they were natural after all that she had been through. Before Terrwyn knew it, Bakari was entering the chamber with a well-dressed Roman behind him. Terrwyn snarled, her mind immediately flashing back to the other Roman, the one who had beaten her repeatedly for protecting her siblings. It was only her respect and love for the High Priestess that she didn't just rise and storm away like she wished to do. If this man would be one of her most trusted, then maybe there is something about him that would reveal itself later.

"Mistress." Bakari bowed, eyeing Terrwyn warily. "Your guest."

"Thank you, Bakari." Beset said, dismissing the young priest. She turned to the young Roman. "I am Beset, High Priestess of the Temple of Bast. This is Terrwyn. She is the one you have come to assist."

"A pleasure, High Priestess." The man bowed slightly. "I am Andreas. I have been sent by the Protectorate to continue the training of the potential Chosen."

Terrwyn glanced at Beset with an arched brow at his pompous tone. A barely perceptible shake of the taller woman's head kept her mouth closed. She leaned against a wall while they talked, watching the new guy closely, forming her own opinions. He reminded her of the pompous men who looked them over when they were slaves. She wanted to slap that arrogant look right off his face. When he left to get settled into his room, Beset turned to her inquiringly.

"I want to kick him in the mouth." Terrwyn stated baldly.

Beset's laughter rang through the halls. "Besides that, what is your assessment?"

"He is a scholar. If he even knows which end of a sword to hold, I would be surprised. He will be useless with anything but a scroll."

"Give him a chance." Beset said. "He will aide you greatly in time."

Terrwyn sighed skeptically. "Will he at least be made to learn to protect himself before our travels? Is he even aware that we will be traveling? He seems like he's accustomed to making the decisions."

Beset nodded. "One way or the other, he will be trained."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Andreas wiped his face with towel, panting, as he made his way from the training room to his chambers. Ever since that first morning, he had been spending part of his days training to protect himself and defend his charge's back if necessary. As he turned a corner, he saw something that had his mouth falling open in shock. Terrwyn had another woman up against a wall, kissing her fiercely, with one hand clutched in the dark-skinned woman's hair and the other was sliding up a slim, muscled thigh. Before he could react, two children ran around him and began pulling her away.

"Terrwyn, come on!" The boy said. "You're supposed to be helping us get ready. Hi, Masika."

"Hello, kitling." Masika smiled down at them, disentangling herself from her young lover. "So, you have decided to dedicate yourselves?"

Eirian nodded excitedly. "We first wanted to work with Terrwyn, but after speaking with Beset, we decided to we would better help her here in the temple."

Terrwyn let them talk. She didn't know what Beset had said to them, but she was glad that the High Priestess had managed to convince them to stay out of this battle. Looking up, she saw Andreas watching them, the expression on his face testament to exactly how much he had seen. She had helped train him in the basics of hand to hand combat as he taught her of the different threats hidden in the dark shadows. She trained with the priestesses, spent time with the twins and indulged herself in Masika's body.

She knew that she would have to leave with Andreas soon after the ceremony. She was going to miss them all, so much. The time that she spend with her sister and brother was infinitely precious to her because she felt, deep inside her, that she'd never see them again after she left.

~~~ BtVS ~~ AU ~~ Highlander ~~~

"You wished to speak with me?" Beset asked as Andreas was led into the gardens.

"I have just seen the girl in the company of one of your women." He sputtered. "Do you not think she is a little young for such activities?"

"Her path is not dictated by your rules." Beset informed him. "The Protectorate has informed you that we are the trainers of this young warrior. Whether she is Called or not, the path of her Destiny is set. Her training is dictated by the Goddesses themselves. Bast was given the honor of guiding her on her path until she is ready, because we were the first to find her. Even this training, she will need."

"What path could be more important than that of being Chosen?" He demanded. "I demand to know what is going on!"

"You will know when the time is right." The High Priestess said, unimpressed with his blustering. "If you were to know the truth, you would attempt to divert her from her path, and that must not happen."

She rose from the ledge she had been seated on. "Seven days after tomorrow's ceremony, the two of you will depart for Sparta. After she has finished her training there, the Oracle of Delphi will give you your next destination."

The next day, he watched as Ris, Eirian and a dozen other children their age, dedicated their lives to serve in the Temple of Bast. On the other side, he spotted Terrwyn standing next to her lover. He studied her as her attention was focused on her sister and brother. She exuded a sense of primal energy that made the hairs at his nape stand on end. When he taught her the different species of demons that she would hunt, he could sense the restlessness within her. Watching her train at combat was like nothing he had ever seen. She was able to defend herself against several battle-seasoned warrior priestesses at once. According to several reports, she had learned strategic warfare under the tutelage of Athena's priests and guerrilla warfare with the Amazons of Artemis. They would not tell him what she learned at the temple of the Destroyer, Shiva.

When the ceremony was over, Terrwyn kissed her companion's palm and disappeared with her siblings. Beset had taken him aside earlier and told her that he would not see Terrwyn again outside of her sparring sessions until the day before their departure. Returning to his chambers, he sat down at the desk to write in his journal and compose a report to send to the Protectorate. Something strange was happening about this girl, but he simply couldn't figure out what.

~~~ BtVS ~~ AU ~~ Highlander ~~~

Beset allowed them the rest of the day and night together before retrieving Terrwyn when the twins left to attend to their new duties. She knew where they were going. Beset had told her, before the ceremony, that she would begin her training with a male body. Her stomach clenched in anxiety as they walked. Her experience with men was limited to the pirates that had already been furious with her for killing or injuring their comrades during the raid of her village, and those had not been pleasant. Yet, she trusted Beset, and it was that trust that allowed her to let Beset lead her to the priest's chambers.

"Hello, Terrwyn." The Egyptian man greeted her without turning. He stood lighting the candles in the room, making shadows dance along the walls. "I am Akum. The High Priestess has told me of your issues with men, and I hope that I can ease the trepidation of both your body and your mind."

Terrwyn glanced at the priestess for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Beset trusts you, then so will I. I await your training."

Beset ran her fingers through Terrwyn long hair, drawing her attention. "No, lovely one, it will not be like that. I will not leave you to this trial alone. I know your fears, and I will be here to help you through them."

Terrwyn's eyes opened wide, but before she could speak, Beset captured her lips in a searing kiss that weakened her knees and had her grasping the taller woman's hips to maintain her suddenly precarious balance. Terrwyn moaned involuntarily as Beset bent slightly to lift her off her feet with unnatural strength, never letting up on this kiss that was melting her mind. Finally, Terrwyn had to break the kiss to gulp in several much needed breaths. Without missing a beat, Beset kissed her way down a slender throat as she walked the girl gently backwards to the bed. Terrwyn gasped as bolts of pleasure flared through her body, settling between her legs to start a pulsing that had her rocking against Beset's still covered body.

"Oh, Goddess." Terrwyn moaned. She could barely breathe, the pleasure was so intense. In those few moments, Beset had managed to take complete control of her body, and all Terrwyn could do was accept the sensations being lavished upon her. She didn't know when her clothes disappeared, but she gasped when her breast was suddenly engulfed in a hot mouth and her nipple rasped by a tongue almost as rough as Masika's. "Please."

"Hmm." Beset hummed blissfully. Masika was right. This one was a treat to the senses. She licked her way down the flexing muscles of her abdomen to dip into her navel, making the young warrior arch her back sharply, before moving on to tease at clean-shaven, glistening lips. Terrwyn cries were like music to her ears as she lapped at the fluid flowing from her center, making sure to drag her tongue over the stiff nubbin with every pass. Terrwyn's body undulated with every stroke, desperately following the pleasure giving muscle, desperately reaching for more friction as she begged for it harder. Then, without warning, Beset buried her tongue as deep as she could, moaning herself as the young warriors inner muscles immediately clamped down on the much-needed penetration, and Terrwyn exploded with a scream.

Akum reclined against the bed, running gentle fingers over glistening skin as the young woman recovered from her orgasm. It was a rare treat to be able to watch the High Priestess at work. Each of them had been granted the privilege of her bed at least once, even more than one at a time, but rarely with an Initiate. He knew that the young woman was special. She had been the topic of many conversations since her arrival several seasons before, especially in light of the unusual amount of attention that the High Priestess bestowed upon her and her siblings.

Terrwyn finally managed to open her eyes as she registered the lightly callused fingers stroking the swell of her breasts. The sensations felt different than Masika's touch, yet was just as pleasurable, she realized with slight surprise.

"Back with us, little one?" Beset questioned from her side.

Terrwyn turned her head to see the High Priestess seated next to the bed. She blushed at the damp spot on the woman's gown.

"For now, I think it would be better for you to begin by learning a man's body. Akum will lie still as you explore his body. Take your time. Touch him everywhere, until you are comfortable."

Akun laid back on bed, reclined in a relaxed pose, calmly waiting. Unaccountably shy, Terrwyn looked to Beset for reassurance as she knelt at his side. With lightly trembling fingers, she traced the features of his face and followed the line of hard muscle of his chest. Growing bolder at his passiveness, and the tingling in her fingers, she traced muscles of his abdomen, ghosting over his navel and down to the curve of his hips. She glanced up at his face, then at Beset, before turning her attention to the thick cock standing almost majestically between his legs. She saw the slight trembling of his muscled thighs as she traced the length of him from the head to his scrotum, and a drop of precum appeared, almost tauntingly. She leaned down and inhaled deeply, taking in the heady musk of his arousal. Although her first time had been brutal at the hands of pirates, she had seen the men of her village, young and old, with their women, and knew that brutality wasn't the only way that men touched, and that sometimes roughness did not have to mean painful. She touched her tongue to his sweaty skin, wanting to taste him, as she wrapped her hand around his shaft in a way that she had once seen one of the village girls do to the young man that she was to marry. Akum gasped and arched his back slightly.

Beset watched them with a slight smile as Terrwyn slowly, but surely lost her trepidation and began to enjoy herself. The girl truly was a joy to watch. She took to the art of pleasure as if she had been born for it. She watched as Terrwyn became absorbed in what she was doing, and without thinking, her hand rose to toy with her nipples. She, herself, like to watch almost as much as she liked to participate. Her other hand smoothed up her thigh, shifting her gown out of the way, to tease at her own clean-shaven mound. She moaned silently, her eyes following Terrwyn's path as she kissed and nipped her way down the priest's body, pausing to take his flat nipples between her teeth and lick at them with a curious tongue. All the while, she stroked his cock, and his hips undulated fluidly to her rhythm.

There was no fear, no hesitation in her touch now. Her senses were swamped with the sounds and scents of his arousal, and Beset's. The High Priestess' arousal was almost as strong as the man beneath her, and getting stronger, and Terrwyn could hear the barely audible sounds of self-pleasure. Goddess, just the thought made her entire body pulse, and she knew, that no matter what the future held, no matter how many men she bedded, she'd always prefer a woman's body, and it had nothing to do with what she experienced on the pirate ship.

Akum moaned, his back arched as he strained for more. Terrwyn put Beset out of her mind, and concentrated on the hard body under her. She might prefer women, but that was no reason not to enjoy what was at her fingertips now. With that thought, she leaned down and licked away another drop of precum from the blood-filled head, right before she took him into her mouth.

It wasn't long after that, Beset watched with approval as Akum was brought to a most explosive release at Terrawun's growing skill, then gasped as she peaked as well. _Yes,_ the High Priestess thought as her mind and body settled, _she is doing very well indeed!_

With that, she then moved to take Akum's mouth in a kiss as Terrwyn coaxed him to hardness again, then straddled his body, taking him inside her. She moved behind the younger woman, pressing their bodies together, and moving with her in tandem. She knew Terrwyn well, having watched her with Masika several times. At this point, she'd be ready to try anything. So she pushed their upper bodies down flush with Akum's heaving chest, and pressed her swollen sex against Terrwyn's firm ass, riding the girl as she rode the young priest.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Andreas looked at the amazing young woman riding just ahead of him. In the past several seasons, he had seen her do things that he'd never before heard of outside of the Chosen One, but he knew that she had not been Called. Since they had left the temple, he had followed the High Priestess' edict, taking her from country to country, to train under warriors of all shapes and sizes. While he was there, they allowed him to study and peruse their ancient text, even those that were not readily available to the Protectorate itself. He fell into the books as she did the trainings.

Their first stop, in Sparta, had been a revelation in more ways than one. He had watched, wide-eyed, as she fought off warriors that had trained since children. She'd even participated in the routine that had been set up for the older boys, training at their side, under their conditions. When he heard of the plans for her final test, to track down and destroy a minotaur that had been destroying villages along their borders, he had nearly protested, but she had returned battered and bruised, with the creature's head in her hand. They had given her a warrior's celebration and two days later, Andreas was sent to the Oracle of Delphi for his next instructions. They had traveled some several more city-states throughout Greece and Rome, before they were sent to the foreign lands in the East. Terrwyn learned their fighting styles, learned to move silently and to kill efficiently. Now, they were on their way back. It was almost the eve of the twin's 18th season, and Terrwyn wished to see them again. Suddenly, Terrwyn pulled up and began looking around.

"What is wrong?" Andreas asked.

"There is something evil nearby." Terrwyn said, finally turning her horse in another direction, and into the woods. "I smell fresh blood on the air."

As they rode, Terrwyn began hearing the faint sounds of screams. Spurring her horse faster, she broke through the trees and into pandemonium. A group of blood demons were attacking a village, and the people were fighting to get into the safety of their homes. Without hesitation, she drew her sword and rode through the village like a force of nature, swinging from one side then the other, beheading the monsters and filling the air with whorls of dust. It wasn't long before the blood demons were either dusted or running. One in particular stopped just outside the village.

"You've made a big mistake, girl." He snarled at her, fangs gleaming in the moonlight. "I'll return and when I do, no one will be spared!"

"Not if I find you first, demon." Terrwyn yelled back.

"When the Dark Lord arises, I will drain your worthless carcass and use your bones for toothpicks." He paused for a moment, then got a calculating look on his face. "Or maybe I'll Turn you. Make you my slave and torture and abuse your body, mind and soul for all eternity."

"That is not as much of a threat as you wish it to be, demon." Terrwyn sneered at him. "I have been a slave, and am not afraid of it, but I will greet the sun before I allow you any such pleasure if I should ever be Turned."

The blood demon roared in fury. The bitch didn't even have the decency to be afraid of his threats. He could smell no fear from the newcomer, and it infuriated him.

"We will meet again, girl." He screamed before vanishing into the woods.

Andreas rode up next to her. She spoke without looking at him. "Who, or what, is the Dark Lord?"

"I do not know," he answered. "but he seemed sure that this 'Dark Lord' would rise soon. There must be a ritual of some sort."

"Then why is the Chosen One not here?" Terrwyn asked him. "The Protectorate is supposed to know of such things and dispatch her accordingly, I thought."

"I will send a message to them, but it will take some time for a response."

"Fine. While we're waiting, we can stay here and protect these people until the Chosen One does arrive. Maybe we'll find something on our own."

They spent the rest of the night helping the people put their village back in order. Terrwyn gathered the bodies of the dead, covered them with burial clothes from the nearby temple, and set them on fire. Several of the women sang funeral songs in honor, held those who were crying and grieved for the loss of their friends and family. Terrwyn and Andreas were given room in the temple to rest.

The village was attacked twice more. Terrwyn, along with those villagers with the new-found courage to fight, held them off without too many casualties. The leader continued to spew threats even as he retreated. Andreas scoured every book in the temple for whatever was possibly happening regarding this mysterious 'Dark Lord', but so far had found nothing.

Several days later, Terrwyn became restless, and started roaming through the woods. She picked off a couple of blood demons watching the village, but it wasn't until she overheard them talking about the Dark Lord's upcoming arrival that she got the idea to try to get the needed information from one of them. Inching towards them quietly, making sure to stay downwind, she got close enough to see the yellow of their eyes before she jumped into their midst, beheading two of them and pinning the third to a tree before they could recover from their surprise. With a flurry of kicks and slashes, she destroyed the last remaining two, then turned to her captive.

"I think it's time we got to know each other better." She said, smiling grimly as she approached. "Then, you will tell me all you know of this 'Dark Lord' and his pending arrival."

~~~ BtVS ~~ AU ~~ Highlander ~~~

"Andreas!" Terrwyn screamed as she burst into the temple. She ignored everyone as she made her way to her rooms to wash the blood and dust from her body. A minute later, Andreas stumbled into her room, still in his sleeping gown. "Get dressed. We've got bigger problems than we thought."

He opened his mouth to argue about who should be giving orders to who, but the look in her eyes when she turned to him made his rethink that idea and simply do what he was told. "I'm going for the High Priest. Meet us in the main chamber."

A few minutes later, Andreas joined them. Terrwyn was drinking from a cup as she paced back and forth in front of the fire, while the High Priest watched her from his seat. "All right, Terrwyn, what is going on?"

"The demons are planning to bring back one Age of the Old Ones." Terrwyn announced. "The demons follow a Master called Baultar. He has discovered a ritual that will allow him to ascend to a Pure Demon, like those that were banished."

"What?" Andreas sputtered.

"That is impossible!" The High Priest said at the same time.

"They have found a ritual that involves sacrificing a pre-born at the witching hour on the night of the blood moon."

"The blood moon? That is a mere two nights from now!" Andreas exclaimed.

Terrwyn glared at him for stating something so gods be damned obvious. "Do you know what a pre-born is?"

Andreas looked confused.

"It is a baby born that has not taken its first breath. That means that they have a woman somewhere about to give birth. The blood demon will have to kill the child the moment it is delivered."

Andreas looked horrified.

~~~ BtVS ~~ AU ~~ Highlander ~~~

"Sire, I must speak with you!" The young blood demon stammered.

"What do you want?" Angelus snarled, grabbing the female by the hair and dragging her out of the room. He had been amusing himself by tormenting the pregnant woman shackled to the bed. "This is delicate work. If she has that kid early because of my fun, Baultar will make us all wish we could beg for death."

"That f-fighter, the one from the village." The fledgling stammered. "She caught Raphael and his group, destroyed t-them all. S-S-She tortured Raphael. She cut off his fingers and body parts and poured blessed water on him. I could see and smell him burning from where I was."

"What are you babbling about?" Angelus growled, grabbing her by the shirt and shaking her viciously. "Is there a point to this?"

"He t-told her about the ritual." She cowered as he growled furiously. "He told h-her about the w-w-woman and the blood m-moon."

With a yell of fury, he ripped out the throat of the fledgling, walking away even before she was completely dusted. Then, he paused and looked back at the pile. "Well, shit. Now I've got to tell him myself. Hmm, I wonder where Darla is. Maybe I can get her to tell him."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"Terrwyn, a messenger from the Protectorate has arrived."

"What did they say?"

"The Chosen One is guarding a forming portal of dark energies. Someone or something pooled enough dark magic one spot, and it has partially punched through the fabric to the realm of the demons. She cannot come here because the creatures of the night are being drawn to that spot in growing hordes."

"Then we're going to have to take of this ourselves." Terrwyn said.

"You may have most of the abilities of the Chosen One, but you are not her." Andreas said. "You will die if you go up against a Master."

"You expect me to do nothing?" Terrwyn demanded. "This monster is trying to bring back one of the Old Ones, Andreas. One of the _original_ demons. I may not have been Called, but it is my duty to try to prevent this. Yours as well!"

Andreas sat down, heavily, thinking about his wife and son. He was not prepared to die.

"This ritual requires the life of a pre-born. All we have to do is find the mother that they have captured, and keep them away from her long enough for her to give birth and the baby to draw breath. Without that, there will be no rising."

"You make it sound so simple." The older man said. Except, right now, he did not seem older to Terrwyn.

"Simple, yes, but in no way easy." Answered the young warrior. Suddenly, she felt very much the elder of the two. "The Chosen One was created to prevent this very thing from happened. Should I ignore this danger simply because I have not yet been Chosen?"

"No, I suppose you can not." Andreas dropped his head in his hands, and thought of his wife and son again, and what could happen to them if they _did not_ do this. "I am with you."

Terrwyn nodded, then turned thoughtful as she tried to come up with a plan with the little knowledge that she had. "There are magic users in the area. I can feel it. We will need protection of the strongest kind. Something that cannot be broken once cast. They also should be able to give us something of that sort, as well as a transportation spell. If the woman has not gone into labor or given birth when we find her, we can get her to safety. I will leave before sunrise."

When dawn came, Andreas sent the Protectorate messenger back with news of what was occurring, and spoke with the temple priests about giving the unknown woman sanctuary if they could rescue her. If they were able to pull off the impossible, it was more than likely that the demon would attempt to kill the mother and child in retaliation regardless. He also advised them to make sure the villages were safely in their homes long before sunset. Whether they succeeded or not, especially if they succeeded, he knew that the blood demons would descend on the village in fury, knowing that it was where he and Terrwyn where taking shelter. The last thing he wanted was to save the world at the cost of these innocent peoples' lives.

Terrwyn reigned in her horse on a grassy knoll as she looked down at the idyllic little village nestled safely in a hidden valley. The power that she felt radiating from the place burned along her senses. Knowing better than to try to intrude, she waited until she was noticed and approached. It had taken most of the morning to find the village, following her senses tenaciously despite being misdirected several times. It was early afternoon before they accepted that she wasn't going away and sent someone to greet her.

"Warrior, why are you here?" Asked a woman in a simple linen gown. "This is our land, and you are trespassing."

Terrwyn dismounted and went down to one knee. "I apologize, but I am on the gravest of missions. A demon seeks to raise one of the Old Ones, and I must stop him because the Chosen One is elsewhere attending to another situation. I have come seeing help."

"What is it you seek?"

"The ritual requires the sacrifice of a pre-born." Terrwyn said. "If we can protect the mother and babe until the first breath is drawn, then the ritual cannot be completed, but the gods and goddesses of these lands are forbidden to interfere with this war, and I do not have the knowledge."

"Who are you?" The woman asked curiously.

"I am Terrwyn, of the tribe of Andras." Terrwyn bowed before remounting her stallion. "I am one of those with the potential to become the Chosen One, but I have been trained by the gods and goddesses of many lands."

Already turned away, she did not see the woman's reaction to her words. They rode to the village in silence and met with the Coven, where Terrwyn told them what she knew of the demons' plans. She explained what she wished to do, and what she possibly needed to accomplish it. By the time the sun was halfway to the far horizon, she had what she needed, and a little help in the form of a warrior witch.

"We have to be quick." Terrwyn said to the witch. "The ritual takes place tonight, and it is several candlemarks before we reach the village that I traveled from. The fortress that they are using is another three candlemarks from there by horse. The ritual will have begun by the time we reach it, and the sacrifice will be done at the witching hour."

"Then we'd best ride." The witch said.

~~~ BtVS ~~ AU ~~ Highlander ~~~

_Just a few moments more,_ Terrwyn thought desperately as she swung her sword, barely keeping the unending horde back.

It had been pure luck and the blessing of the Goddess that they had found the narrow corridor nearly invisible in the dark passage. There was just enough room for her to maneuver, but the monsters were bottle-necked as they attacked and tried to get past her.

Terrwyn tuned out the screams of the woman giving birth behind her, as well as the terse instructions of the witch to Andreas, who had accompanied them on this mission. Instead, she concentrated on holding back the tide of blood demons and other dark creatures that was before her.

"Cast the spell, Talia!" She yelled back to witch who had stopped fighting to aide in the birth.

"What about you?" Andreas yelled back, dividing his attention between his charge and the heaving mother-to-be in his arms. "Once the circle is sealed, it cannot be broken. You will be trapped. This is the only protection we have. He will kill you for ruining his plans."

"If that is what is needed, so be it." She panted, unconcerned with the prospect of her imminent, and most likely brutal, death. "Take care of them. Tell them that I love them."

"Terrwyn, you can't expect me to just leave you!"

"Andreas, I will not be able to hold them back much longer. Even now, I can feel Baultar approaching." The girl told him. "You can't teleport the woman while she's giving birth, so SEAL THE DAMNED CIRCLE! When the baby is born, get out of here!"

Andreas was about to protest again when suddenly, the attacks stopped, catching everyone's attention. From her position, Terrwyn could see the mass of bodies shifting to either side. "He's here, Talia. Cast the spell now!"

The warrior witch nodded and quickly sealed the circle she had drawn despite the blood on her hands. When she spoke to her again, her voice was sad. "I'm sorry, young warrior. I will see that your sacrifice is not in vain. We will care for the woman and child since she has no one. You have my word."

Although that hadn't been who she'd been referring to, Terrwyn nodded anyway. Any response Terrwyn would have made was cut off by a scream from the laboring woman. It was enough to distract both them all, who instinctively looked to her in concern. The next thing Terrwyn knew, she was being lifted off of her feet by a hand around her throat.

"Give me the woman." The blood demon snarled. "Give me the woman now."

"Go ahead and kill me, demon." Terrwyn gasped, instinctively dropping her weapons to try and break his grip. "You will still lose."

The woman screamed again as Talia spoke words of encouragement. Only with the babe's first drawn breath would this truly be over. The blood demon's grip tightened spasmodically in frustrated rage. With lighting fast movements, he had both of Terrwyn's arms trapped behind her back, twisting them until they broke with sickening cracks. As she screamed in agony, he turned her to face the protected people. "Give her to me, Witch, or watch this one Turned before your eyes."

"The circle is unbreakable once sealed." Terrwyn sneered through the pain. "As soon as the child is born, they will be taken beyond your reach. You have lost, _cythraul_."

"Hold her." Baultar commanded, shoving Terrwyn to a couple of minions.

"The rest of you, break that circle. Do whatever it takes."

Baultar watched with growing rage as the woman's labor progressed. The woman herself was unimportant, but the ritual required the living blood of a pre-born. The child had to be sacrificed before it's first breath, or all of his planning would have been for nothing.

"I see the head." The witch told Andreas, ignoring the sounds of the creatures trying desperately to get to them.

"Get the circle down NOW!" Baultar roared at the announcement.

The sound of the baby's first cries, ten long minutes later, was like music to Terrwyn's ears. "Looks like you will have to wait another 2,500 years, _cythraul_."

Howling in rage, he grabbed her from his henchmen. He smiled in relish as the insolent whelp screamed in pain as he twisted her arms until the bones broke through the skin. He turned her to face Andreas, Talia and new mother. "I told you that you would watch her be Turned."

Before Andreas could respond, he sank his fangs into Terrwyn's throat, relishing her screams of pain as well as the anguish in the other man's eyes as he drained her life's blood in deep, satisfying gulps. Suddenly, he threw her down and clutched at his throat, gagging as tears of blood fell from his eyes.

"W-what have y-you done?" He rasped.

"What is the matter?" Terrwyn asked him, pushing the pain aside. "Do you not like blessed water in your blood?"

Andreas suddenly remembered the three wine skins that she had gulped down on their way to the tunnels. He watched in horrified fascination as the blood demon began smoking from the mouth.

"How long do you think it will take the blood to reach your heart?" Terrwyn continued weakly. She was bleeding out quickly from the puncture in her jugular.

"You think that this will destroy me?" He sneered despite the pain twisting his demonic features.

"Maybe, maybe not. But at least I will die knowing that you are suffering."

"Oh, no. I do not think so." Baultar growled hoarsely, dragging himself over to her. Anchoring her head in place with one hand, he tore out his wrist with his teeth and shoved the wound into her mouth. With her head tilted back and her mouth completely covered, Terrwyn had no choice but to swallow as the blood slid easily down her throat. Everyone gathered, even the blood demons, flinched at the scream that tore from Terrwyn's throat as the demon's blood mixed with the Holy Water already in her own blood. Her body arched until only her head and heels were touching the ground, then she collapsed into convulsions. The blood demons, Baultar included, inched away when small bolts of energy began to spark off of Terrwyn's body. They instinctively covered up when the sparks turned into a small electrical bolts that blew out the high windows and chunks of mortar from the walls.

"What is happening?" Andreas yelled.

No one answered. Finally, after what felt like candlemarks, but what in reality was probably only candledrops, later, everything stopped and Terrwyn's body went still. All but Baultar and his two minions had long since broke and ran, not knowing what was happening. After a few tense, silent minutes, Baultar shoved one of them towards the body. "Go and check her."

Slowly, the blood demon inched closer. "There is no heartbeat, Master, and she is not breathing."

Baultar looked up at the people across from him in triumph. Andreas bowed his head for a minute, then took a deep breath. Muttering under his breath, he spoke the incantation that would take them to the Coven where the witch had come from, and with a bright flash, they were gone. Just before they disappeared, Baultar heard Andreas's sneering voice one last time. "She was not the Chosen One."

He looked at the body of the dead girl in astonishment. No one other than a Chosen could have fought as she had fought. Finally, he dismissed the words as irrelevant and turned to Angelus. "Dump her in the forest near the village. Let the Hunger take her. It will be a fitting revenge for the human's protector to slaughter the very sheep she defended."

In all of the excitement, none of them noticed that all of the wounds that she suffered during the battle, were suddenly, completely healed.

~~~ BtVS ~~ AU ~~ Highlander ~~~

"Ohhh." Terrwyn moaned. Her entire body hurt. Her muscles felt like they were being stretched to the breaking point and her head felt like there was a herd of kelpie stampeding around and trying to force their way out of her eyeballs.

She waited for the pounding in her head to lessen, before attempting to sit up.

Which was apparently a mistake, since her head immediately started pounding once again. Taking several deep breaths to quell the churning in her stomach, she inched her eyes open to glance around and try to her bearings.

_Where am I?_ she wondered. _What happened?_

The scent of fresh water caught her attention, making her realize that her mouth was dry and she felt like she hadn't had a drink in days. She slowly, painfully, made her way to the creek. Stumbling down to her knees, she bent over for a drink and nearly pitched face first into the water before she managed to catch herself. Carefully taking a sip, she nearly collapsed as her stomach clenched in sudden, painful hunger.

_Oh, Goddess,_ she thought in agony. _What has happened to me?_

Taking deep breaths to force down the pain, Terrwyn glanced around to gain her bearings. The forest she was in was a familiar one. Not far from the village that had offered hospitality to them when they arrived to fight off a horde of attacking blood demons.

Using a tree for support, she made her way to her feet and stumbled forward. It took her over an hour to make the normally fifteen minute walk. The moment she stepped out of the haven of the forest shade and into bright sunshine, the pain in her head increase tenfold and her stomach began to cramp. So early in the morning, only the tradesmen were about as she made her way to the Temple, where she knew Andreas would be.

The walk through the village was long and painful, but finally, she was pulling herself up the few steps to the large ornately carved doors. By this time, the pain in her head was so intense that she was seeing spots before her eyes and Terrwyn could feel a strange burning sensation on her skin. The pain in her head and abdomen were close to making her pass out. Using the last of her strength, she took the knocker and banged on the metal plate beneath it three times before collapsing against the door, oblivious to the people watching her curiously. By the time she heard someone lifting the inner bar, the pain was so bad that she couldn't convince her body to move before the door was opened and she tumbled inside. She curled into herself and finally succumbed to the blackness darkening her vision, not even hearing the sudden, frantic yells for help.

Andreas, a member of the Protectorate of less than five years, yet had read every journal in the library and had thought he was a least partially prepared for anything that he could possibly encounter, stood in the entrance to the back hallway where he had been drawn by the knocks, unusual so early in the day. He stared at the figure that had fallen to the floor in open-mouthed shock. Terrwyn, the potential Chosen he had seen Turned just last night, was curled in a fetal ball, on the _inside_ of the doorway. Her fair skin was red, blistering and slightly smoking as she lay unconscious in a pool of bright sunshine.

"By the Gods."

End of Book 1


End file.
